clean a iron cross

[von ropen]

I buy a 2 class iron cross and it have the coners a little dark. It is better to clean the coners? or leve it like they are.
Thanks...

[Brian R]

Leave the cross the way it is !!!!!!

[Javier D. Garcia]

Hola Magferran,

Nunca se deben limpiar las cruces de hierro, ya que pierden parte de su valor!!!
La única excepción es cuando están oxidadas y hay riesgo de que se pueda perder la cruz, en cuyo caso se haría un tratamiento para preservarla, pero nunca para limpiarlas.

(Never attempt to clean an iron cross, they lost value!!!
The only exception is when the cross is rusted and there´s possibilities to loose the cross, in which case a treatement is needed to preserve the cross.)


Javier.

[Tom Y]

The only thing I ever use is an occasional drop of rust preventive oil like WD40 where needed and a soft paintbrush for the dust. NEVER try to remove the tarnish!

[Dez H]

DONT CLEAN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


moremad moremad moremad



Dez

[Tiger 1]

A word of caution about WD40 and similar penetrating oils! In the gunsmithing trade it is known that prolonged use of penetrating oils has done damage to plated surfaces. Apparently the oil permeates between the plating and the surface that's plated and can cause the plating to flake or peel. The same can happen to painted surfaces as the bond is substacially weaker than plating.
A waxing, if necessary, with a museum quality wax will seal out the oxygen needed for rusting. Just my 2 cents on oiling Iron Crosses.

[Maximiliano]

Clean

Hi,

only clean it with alcohol.








Max.

[Maximiliano]

hee javier,

Hola javier,

Una vez te envie un mail a tu página felicitandote por la misma,
ya que entre mis medallas tengo una de herido en plata con el fabricante 100,
Que bueno que estés aquí en el foro.



SALUDOS,

Max.



pd: Y poder leer castellano. je je je je je je

[Mike H.]

Nein, reinigen Sie es nicht! Es soll verboten werden.

Please don't clean it!

I know they're prettier clean, but you are not removing dirt and tarnish, you are removing history! You are removing blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice. You are removing a chapter in someone's life.

Okay, maybe a bit dramatic - but it is history that's clouded the face of your EK. I once cleaned a very tarnished '14 EK2, just to see it shine and to get a hint of what it must have looked like the day it was presented. I still feel guilty!

Everyone has differing opinions on why or why not to clean them. This is but mine....

[Ralph A]

I can vouch from painful experience to the pitfalls of using WD40 to treat and preserve. Careful.

I like "Marvel Mystery Oil" where a treatment is absolutely necessary.

But don't clean it. Do as Tom Y says and use a dry brush if you want to lightly knock some dirt loose. Best policy is to "let the NEXT guy decide whether or not clean it".

[Ralph A]

Clarification

MMO is a surfactant and penetrant! Use it to gently CLEAN... not preserve.

All of a sudden I had this horrible vision of someone dipping their EK's into the stuff....

[Mike H.]

Ralph,

That's good advice, about the next guy.

[von ropen]

Many thanks for the advises
I will not clean it...

See U

[JensF.]

I only use some Ballistol to remove rust and cotton swabs to remove dust. Not more.

Ballistol is very good to remove the green verdigris on copper or bronze awards too. I only remove things which can damage the award like rust or verdigris! And remove the ribbon before using oil on a medal.

[Frank Heukemes]

Dear majorpayne,

I use the same thing (Ballistol), but I suspect our American friends might not know what that is. I always wondered if WD-40 is kind of the same thing?

Cheers, Frank H.